Saving Lucius
by sa1boy
Summary: Lucius Malfoy has discovered that the Dark Lord has a new ally. This new ally wants payment before joining forces with the evil one. That payment is something Lucius will die for before he gives it up.
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing of the HP universe, I merely borrow its characters.

"Mr Malfoy, please report to the Headmasters office."

Draco looked up at his head of house and met ebony black eyes that seemed to have lost any flicker of life that they had. Draco turned as he walked out of the room; he knew instinctively that something was wrong. Searching briefly, his eyes found the comfort zone they had learned to rely on so much.  
Silver eyes, clouding slightly, looked at emerald eyes filled with love and concern. Harry swallowed deeply, as he stood up from his seat, wanting to follow, a gesture from Draco making him sit again.

"Immediately Mr Malfoy" Snape repeated. Draco left the room, casting a lonely look back as he did. When the door closed Snape, not really knowing why he was, but knowing it was the right thing to do spoke up again. "Mr Potter, I think you are requested in the Infirmary, if you rush, you may be of some use?"  
Only Hermione caught the connection as Harry flew out of the room, just getting to the headmasters office as Draco was ascending the stairs.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, I have some bad news I'm afraid, it's your father. This letter explains everything I fear. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask. Mr Potter, I feel your attendance most timely right about now. I will leave you two have some time alone."

Draco took the letter from Professor Dumbledore and stared at it for a few moments.

"Would you like me to?" Harry asked, offering to peruse the contents of the letter for him. Draco shook his head. If it was going to be bad news he had to read it for himself. Opening the letter he was grateful for the warm embrace his lover gave, and as he started reading he leant back in to it.

_Draco, my beautiful son_

I am writing this as I know it will be the last correspondence I am allowed to make. I fear that by the time you receive this letter, you will be the new Lord of the Manor. I contemplated sanctuary amongst the so-called Army of Light, but that shade of light would not suit my delicate complexion. I fear they would not accept me, and I would not want to feel indebted to mudbloods and half breeds.  
Ironic, that I have tied my own fate to one of them.  
It is difficult to explain why I will give my life, to make sure I save yours. But my death will hopefully let you see that the leader of the dark, my Lord, is nothing more than a monster. Not the visionary we all once thought. I was promised little; control of the muggles, was to be my reward when we defeated the forces under Dumbledore's control. I finally realised, I already have enough power, but not so much that I am able to just get up and walk away. Leave the ranting's of a mad man and do what my wife and child want most of all, be a father, and be a person.I have made my bed so to speak.

I learned that your mother is to be given to the Dark Lords newest ally. I complained and was inflicted by Crucio, the identity of this ally alludes me. My disagreement has left me with less access than I had before; I have successfully sent my sweet Narcissa to where I hope no one will find her. I had no choice with my actions, when he finds out what I have done I will be punished, probably killed. The punishment means nothing to me. I am a Malfoy, I walk in the places where others fear to tread, and I will meet this new task, this new challenge as I have met all others that have come before me. With my head held high. For I fear nothing.

I want you to remember what I am doing and gain strength from it, the Dark Lord fears your generation most of all. Potter's name brings a shiver to his serpentine form; promise me that the name Draco Malfoy will make this mad man run for cover. Learn from Potter, stop fighting with him, and start fighting for him.

I know, I have always known.

It is my honest opinion that you will both be the force to defeat this lunatic and allow normality a chance to flourish.

I ask myself time and time again. War, what is it good for? I can only find one answer, no matter how hard I probe my mind that answer is always the same. War is good for absolutely nothing. My last action in this war will be my attempt to kill the madness that controls it. My actions will force our name to be outcast from the dark lords followers, this is my wish. The fact you are reading this letter will show that in some way I have failed. I only hope that I did enough damage before I was taken down.  
I have transferred all stocks and bonds under the name Malfoy over to a joint account for you and your lover. When you marry the name Malfoy-Potter will be the most revered name the magical world has ever known. Don't be surprised that I know of your love for the Potter boy. You have always een as bad as your mother when it came to hiding your emotions. A blind beggar on a Firebolt could see the way you look at him. And, although I know not what his opinions of you are, I have been reliably informed he looks at you the same way. 

Treasure each moment you have with him. Look after your mother for me; she will need lots of help when I'm gone. Do not allow the Dark Lord to find her; I never want my precious flower to be tainted by anything she doesn't love with her heart.

I must end this letter to you with an apology. I am sorry that I never picked you up all those times over the years when you grazed your knee, or hit your head, or did one of the many fabulous things you used to do as a child, every time you held your hands out to me, it was stubborn pride got in the way. When you rode your first broom I was crying inside, but foolish ways of old never allowed me to show my sensitive side. I'm sorry that I beat you on so many occasions for so little reason. I believed at the time it would make you strong, make you survive. In a way it worked, I'm sorry more than anything that I never told you how much I loved you, and how proud I am that you are my son. And how much meaning you give to your mothers and my life.

I love you Draco with all the pride and affection a father could; I never want you to doubt in your heart that I believed in you. Believed that you were destined for great things, great good things. And that you and your relationship with the Potter boy, with Harry, was one I approve of and encourage. By happy my son, for in my death I hope to secure your future life.

You're devoted father

Lucius

Draco dropped the letter as tears fell silently down his face. Harry pulled him tighter into his embrace and traced circles in his hair, attempting to _'shush'_ his lover's pain away.

"Draco, we need to go and see the headmaster, there is still a chance we could save him. If he isn't already dead we may have time." 

Harry was optimistic. Lucius Malfoy was the henchman of Voldemort; he didn't get that position without being very resourceful. Harry didn't tell his lover as fears of upsetting him further hung on his slim frame, but he felt this letter had all the makings of an elaborate trap. He would have to watch his back on this one, he thought.

"Harry, he's dead I know it!" Draco said defeated.

"Then let's go and fetch his body back love. It's the only way we will know for sure"

Pulling his lover to the door, they departed in search of more answers, and a possible clue as to, how they could _save Lucius Malfoy_.

Please review

Beta'd by the lovely DracosMinx. Thank you Laura


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: Puzzle in a bank vault

By Sa1boy

Descending the stairs Harry gave one last discreet touch to his lover's shoulder and whispered the words, "It will be okay. Just remember I love you."

Hearing these words of comfort and love from the boy he cherished proved the catalyst Draco's soul required. Turning, he buried his head in Harry's robes, finally losing the Malfoy self-control he was trying so hard to maintain, and cried. The stairway, as if empathic to his pain, reversed itself. Before Harry could say 'lemon drop', he stood again in Professor Dumbledore's office holding his distraught boyfriend. Harry stood rubbing circles on Draco's back in an attempt at _shushing_ his lover's pain and tears to the surface.

Taking the opportunity that the solitude of the headmaster's office provided, Harry ushered Draco over to a comfortable settee. Sitting them both down, he cradled Draco in his arms, rocking him back and forth until Draco's tears had depleted his energies and his low sobs had subsided. The emotional release exhausted Draco's body and forced him to seek out the refuge of sleep.

Harry thought Draco was a beautiful sleeper. As Harry ran his fingers lightly through the silky hair, he wished that having Draco's head on his lap was a result of a good shagging session and not the result of heartbreak. Shaking his mind clear of inappropriate thoughts, Harry let it wander back over the contents of the letter. Not being able to pick up on anything that seemed outwardly apparent, he returned to gently stroking his lover's hair only stopping when the Headmaster returned to the room accompanied by Professor Snape. Seeing the two men enter, Harry moved to wake his sleeping angel.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Potter. Leave him sleep for now." Dumbledore spoke softly, giving Draco's snoozing form a sympathetic smile.

"The letter, Potter, where is it?" Professor Snape, speaking in a slow, deliberate tone, asked.

Harry gently retrieved the letter from Draco's robes and handed it to the potions master. Dumbledore joined Snape and took out his wand, tapping the parchment.

"Reveal your secrets," Professor Snape requested.

Dumbledore gave a wry look of confusion. "Harry, are you sure this is the letter Mr. Malfoy received?"

Harry repositioned Draco so that the boy was now propped against a plump cushion and stood up. Holding out his hand he retrieved the piece of parchment from the professors and looked at it, unsure what the professors were having a problem with.  
He couldn't believe his eyes when the letter he had read over Draco's shoulder not half an hour previous was now just a blank piece of parchment.

"Hang on, I'll just check and see if Draco has another letter in his robes; this may be the wrong one." Both teachers nodded in agreement, standing back so as to give Harry more space. Kneeling down next to his lover, Harry brushed a few stray strands of hair from his angelic face and rummaged gently in his robes for the sign of a second letter.

There was none. With the original parchment in Harry's hand, and ignoring the impatient grunts from the dark-eyed wizard behind him, Harry brushed Draco's hair one more time. The letter briefly came into contact with Draco's cheek. But as soon as it did the writing reappeared. Harry watched as the page became blank yet again when not in contact with Draco.

Dumbledore also saw this and coughed a little at the sight, garnering the attention of Professor Snape. "It would appear Severus that this letter doesn't want to be read at this time. Can I leave this in your capable hands, please? I have ministry duties I must attend to immediately."

With that Dumbledore walked toward the door of his office, causing Harry to worry slightly. "Professor, when you gave Draco the letter, you said that it would explain all, and if he required further answers, he was to seek your help. If the letter is spelled to only reveal itself to Draco, how did you happen to know its contents, sir?

"Oh there is no mystery there, my boy. The covering letter sent to me with Mr. Malfoy's missive gave those instructions quite clearly." Dumbledore returned on his path out of the room, offering no further explanations as to the nature of the contents of the cover letter, or what Lucius had tried to convey within its lines.

"Potter, kindly wake Mr. Malfoy and report to my potions lab immediately with the now-you-see-it, now-you-don't missive." Nodding his head to the raven-haired pupil he turned, throwing up a sea of billowing black robes, and left the room.

Harry pondered Dumbledore's explanation regarding the cover letter with trepidation. But, just as quickly as he had allowed his mind to start plotting conspiracy theories, Draco stirred from his slumber. Seeing the soft grey pain-filled eyes, Harry asked, "Hi, Angel, feeling better?"

He bent over intending to plant a sweet and loving chaste kiss on his lover's soft red lips. Feeling the need from Draco for more, the kiss quickly became a symphony of sensual support. Draco returned the passion tenfold as their lips and tongues danced and battled together. Harry was Draco's rock. Draco didn't want to contemplate a life without the one thing in it that made real sense, _his Harry_. Draco had confessed his loved to Harry in what many would think of as the most romantic way possible… a letter filled of truths and love.

There was a time, before _The Letter_…when Draco didn't have this steady force in his life; before Harry realised that he needed Draco, just as much as Draco needed him. This was when there existed a triumvirate of unrequited and unknown love, between Harry, Draco, and of all people, Ron Weasley. Draco had unwittingly become the object of desire for Harry's best friend, Ron. Ron would look at Draco with so much loving adoration that it made Draco uncomfortable. At that time Harry fancied himself in love with Ron. Draco, however, was and always had been in love with Harry. Taking matters into his own hand Draco put his inner most feelings and desires in a letter hoping to break the triangle and get _his_ Harry once and for all. Draco carried that letter around for a week before his inner courage outweighed his Slytherin self-preservation. Harry, realising the letter Draco sent him expressed the blonde's sincerest feelings and desires, opened his eyes and then his heart. Draco smiled as he remembered his father's words of approval of this relationship.

'Shit,' he thought, 'Father!' Blind panic set in as he remembered the **other** words in the letter from his father. Sitting bolt straight he looked at his lover with fear in his eyes. "How long have I been asleep? Harry, how could you let me sleep at a time like this? I have to save my father; I have to save Lucius!"

Harry pulled Draco into a warm embrace and kissed his forehead. "I allowed you to sleep because I love you and I just witnessed you in floods of tears; watching as the grief you're feeling shocked your system into shutting down. The least I could do was just hold you and wait for you to recover. We need answers before we can go looking for Lucius. More importantly we need to know why your father charmed the letter so it will only appear for you. Dumbledore was freaked when he realised that, and took off saying he had to go to the Ministry or something."

Draco opened the parchment and the same wording was on there. He couldn't help the soft smile he got when he notice the words 'pride', 'love', 'precious', and 'son'. Those words were one's he had longed his entire life to hear from his father, but he would gladly give them up, to know for a fact that the elder Malfoy was safe and alive. Tears started to well in his eyes again as he passed the letter to Harry. Harry took great care to keep it opened out to show that as soon as Harry's hand touched the missive and Draco's left it, the writing disappeared.

"Harry, I didn't realise before. But, how could Dumbledore…? He said…" A confused-looking Draco was starting to wonder as to the true nature of this correspondence. He didn't buy the cover letter story that Dumbledore had offered. Standing up from the sofa and resting an arm on Harry's shoulder, Draco touched the parchment again and all the words came back to life. He looked down at it again with tears again threatening to fall.

Harry loosened his grip and tucking the now folded letter up into his robes and pulled Draco to the door with him, "Come on, Angel. We have to go and see your godfather. Something tells me that he may have some of the answers that we need."

Draco nodded and said "Agreed!" as they left Dumbledore's office and headed to the corridors below.

Once at the foot of the stairs, the gargoyle did its customary impersonation of a marble crab and jumped sideways, allowing our two to leave the stairwell, but not before they stole another deep kiss.

Once outside and back in the hallway, Draco, checking left then right, and seeing the coast was clear, beckoned Harry to go first. The rest of the school – apart from Blaise, Pansy, Ron and Hermione – were oblivious to the relationship that Draco and Harry enjoyed. Although they now had the documented blessing of Lucius Malfoy, they still thought it better to keep up their pretence a little while longer.

Harry arrived at the potion master's dungeon a full three minutes ahead of Draco. When his blonde lover eventually did come into view, Harry knocked soundly on the door and awaited the customary caustic greeting from his long-time nemesis.

"Have you knocked?" Draco asked as he stood just behind Harry, receiving a nod as answer; Draco waited patiently as well. The sound of a key in a lock came from the door as it opened to reveal Professor Snape looking down his elongated snout at Harry.

"Ah…Potter, Malfoy. You better come in. And wipe your feet first." Harry and Draco did as requested and scuffed the soles of their shoes on the magical cleansing rug at the threshold to Severus Snape's private rooms.

Once inside the rooms, Snape's tough cold exterior disappeared as he embraced his godson in a loving, fatherly-type hug.

"Are you okay, Draco? I've heard about this elusive letter. Would you care to show its contents to me, please?" Draco gave a brave smile to his godfather, holding out a hand to a bemused Harry, who recognised the unspoken request and held out the letter for Draco.

"Professor, have you heard anything?" Harry asked. Snape shook his head but did not speak. Harry went to put his arm around Draco, but remembering where he was, pulled it back, although not quick enough that the professor didn't see.

"Do you love him, Potter?" Snape enquired. Draco looked startled at the question, but, felt a little assured that it wasn't a leading question when Severus gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. Harry was speechless; he swallowed deeply, searching for the correct words to say.

"I love him more than life itself," Harry managed to blurt out. Freeing Draco, Severus pushed him gently into Harry, as he spoke firmly.

"Good, Draco deserves love. I have known of your union for quite some time. Like your father before me, I give you both my blessing. But…MARK MY WORDS, POTTER..." Severus spoke in a drawn out chilling voice. "If you so much as let a hair on this boy's head be harmed, Voldemort will be the least of your worries. Do you understand?"

Harry let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, and nodded quickly to his lover's godfather.

"Draco, if I may, could you let me have a strand of your hair, please?" Draco pulled a single strand of hair and passed it to Severus, who in turn tapped it three times, making it go rigid. Taking the letter from Harry, he placed it flat on his desk, and using the nail-like hair drove it into the parchment, securing it to the desk.

Immediately the magical signature present in Draco's hair strand activated the missive allowing the writing to appear.

"Neat." Harry said.

"So pleased that I have impressed you, Harry," came Severus's reply. "Well, what did you expect? That I call you 'Potter' for the rest of your life? You're part of my family now." Harry wondered if this day could get any weirder, then joined Draco in studying the letter he had received earlier.

They read the letter over and over again for a hidden meaning, or a hidden clue, but it just didn't seem to have any. Severus knew from the last Death Eater meeting he was at that Lucius was missing; he didn't know why until seeing this letter. One thing that Draco didn't know about his father's acceptance of his same sex relationship with Harry was because for the past twenty years, Severus and Lucius had had the same loving relationship as he. Unfortunately, their relationship could never be allowed to be public knowledge; there was too much at stake.

The calm of the room was broken, surprisingly by Harry, who had noticed that there were three discrepancies from what he knew about the Malfoy family. "Draco, didn't you tell me that the only time your mom and dad got on was when she was in France, and he was in Malfoy Manor?"

Draco's answer was a little abrupt at first, but, then he saw the significance in the words. "Go on, Potter, what are you thinking?" asked Draco, who immediately followed that with "Sorry, love, I'm just so worried." Rubbing soft circles in the small of his back, Harry understood perfectly the anxiety his lover must be feeling.

"It's okay, Angel, I understand. It's just that if your parents didn't like each other, then by calling her his 'Sweet Narcissa', I think he's trying to say something else.

"Also you told me that when you rode your first broom, your father was in a different country, and how you wished he'd been there to see you…"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to stave off the headache that was rising; he hadn't counted on this letter being some kind of elaborate clue as to the possible safety or whereabouts of Lucius.

Severus joined Draco in silence as they listened intently to the third and possibly the biggest and most glaringly obvious clue of all, which Harry had noticed.

"The most noticeable discrepancy I see in this letter is this part here." Pointing to a specific section of the letter, he allowed them both to catch up before continuing,

_I have transferred all stocks and bonds under the name Malfoy over to a joint account for you and your lover. When you marry the name Malfoy-Potter will be the most revered name the magical world has ever known._

When it was obvious that the two pureblood wizards were no match for Kojak (A muggle TV detective, who would solve mysteries) loving Harry, he continued. "Draco, if? Sorry when, I marry you… Do we have to adopt the name 'Malfoy-Potter'? Couldn't we just drop the name 'Potter' altogether and I be called 'Harry Malfoy'?"

Draco wasn't quite sure what the implications meant but answered all the same, "When you walk me down the aisle, it will be your choice as the active partner, as to what name I take. If you decide you want to do away with the names, Potter and Malfoy, and take one of the other surnames available to our houses, you are freely at liberty to do this. I wouldn't refuse; it would be my honour at that time to be called by whatever name you chose."

Severus stepped in, complete with rarely-seen smirk, realizing these revelations by the boy he had secretly quite liked all these years may, just may, find out where his lover was. "Harry, you are indeed observant."

Harry was beaming from ear-to-ear; that was as near to a compliment as you got from Severus Snape. Harry continued, "So a wizard would not pre-empt a union with a huge transference of funds, not before knowing the names first?"

"Certainly not," Draco said "My father would be far too careful than to leave all our money….." The penny dropped.

"Precisely. If Lucius is trying to be found, he would leave a message. Where would he leave it?"

"Somewhere it would be safe, but somewhere it could be found," ventured Severus.

"Agreed!" Draco added, tears freely running down his face again. Harry moved over to him and was held him back against his chest in a lover's embrace. Raining little butterfly kisses on his neck, and feeling grateful to Severus for the ability to do this, Harry closed out his thoughts.

"So…where is the safest place in the known world?" Harry asked to a chorused answer of "Gringotts!"

"Come on, Draco! We need to go to Gringotts."

Severus stood upright and moved to the door, suddenly stopping and blocking their path. "Hold it right there. What are you going to do when you get there? And may I remind you that you are both in term time. You will need a teacher's permission to leave the grounds and an adult's company to enter Gringotts."

Harry looked at Draco and they turned back to Severus and spoke as one, "Better get you coat then, looks like you're coming with us."

Half an hour later, Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and their potions master and Draco's godfather, Severus Snape, walked to the outer boundaries of Hogwarts. Once there, Severus instructed the two younger wizards to hold onto his cloak as he apparated them directly to the Leaky Cauldron.

He had left behind a permission slip for both boys to be away from school for the next two days, and a cancellation notice of his future classes for that week.

Once at the Leaky Cauldron, Severus arranged for two rooms for the night. The significance of this action did not escape the boys.  
This would be the first time they would have been afforded the opportunity to sleep with each other, the first time without having to hide behind an invisibility cloak, or a disillusionment charm.  
Tonight Harry could make love to Draco like he'd always wanted to.

But first, they had a date with a puzzle in a bank vault.

Beta work by the lovely DracosMinx and Bonfoisbkar


	3. Chapter 3

"Young Master Malfoy, sir. I was just telling your father how you've grown so. My, my, how big you've become. Why…I remember you as a wee bairn…" said the voice of Mistress Vamp. She was the housekeeper and long-suffering wife of Tom, the innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron. 

Draco's ears pricked up as he was stopped in his tracks by the reference to his father. Harry did an about turn from climbing the stairs, closely followed by Severus upon hearing the woman's admonition.

"Tell me, Mistress, when did you see Lord Malfoy last?" asked Severus; he was the first to get the question out. The two younger wizards clung to the vacant space between, as the middle-aged half-vampire gave her reply.

"Ohh let me think, dearie. It must have been five days past. Terrible hurry he was in as well. Didn't even stop off for a spot of torture that day. Most unlike him as you know, Professor," Mistress Vamp replied.

"Tell me everything about his visit please, Vampy," pleaded Draco, who had grown up with the adulation of the day crawler, for most of his life. Each week, when Draco was a child his Uncle Severus and Lucius would have their special meetings, accompanied by Draco, in the Leaky Cauldron. Mistress Vamp, or 'Vampy' as Draco learned to call her, would always look after him.

As soon as his father and Uncle had finished with their nasty business, and Draco knew it was nasty business as his father would always say how much of a 'Filthy Potions Master' Uncle Severus was afterwards. Lucius would then take Draco over to Gringotts, and his weekly treat to see the goblins.

As time went by, and much to his son's regret, Lucius stopped taking Draco on his weekly vault crawl. Once Narcissa had finally moved out of the Manor, Lucius took to leaving Draco with the house-elves instead. Draco wasn't even sure if 'Sev', as he now called him and his father even went to these types of meetings any more.

"Well, the lovely Lord Lucius…ooh, such a nice man, never hits you where it'll show. He came in last week, he did. He wasn't with his nice friend the…" Vampy was interrupted by a loud cough from the potions professor.

"Ahem!" sounded Severus, attempting to sway the day walker from revealing more than was absolutely necessary to his two companions.

"Kindly stick to the facts, Mistress; this is a matter of great importance. Did Lord Malfoy appear to be well?" Severus spoke, his tone sounded quite agitated, believing the woman was just wasting their time. He made a crude gesture to Draco and Harry that they should get on with their mission.

"He was fine, he was," she replied with a leer.

Harry put his hand on Draco's shoulder and gave a little squeeze; the sighting of his father by the day crawler wasn't going to be the case-breaker Draco had briefly hoped for. Harry's warmth as always was such a great comfort. Smiling timidly to his lover, Draco turned to the woman, and thanked her for letting him know his father was okay.

Severus had already gone up to their rooms, deposited their bags, and come back down again in this time. Motioning to the front door, Harry moved out of the way of the big hug that the mistress was forcing on him, and had just about stepped out into Diagon Alley when the vampiric witch screeched.

"Oooh, Master Malfoy, sir! I would forget my head if it wasn't stitched on," she giggled, as Severus and Draco both looked like they wanted to kill her.

"What have you forgot, Mistress?" Harry asked.

"This here! Lord Malfoy, he says to me, 'Give this to my son, and don't forget' I'm such a lucky blood lover! I nearly did forget, I did!" She giggled some more and then handed Draco a large ornate key.

"Where is the lock this key opens, Mistress?" Severus snapped.

"I don't know, Professor, he never told me that."

Draco examined the key. On the one side was the word Nemo. Draco thought back to his Latin vocabulary lessons for help, as Harry quietly snickered to himself when the name conjured images of a small clown fish, and not the captain of the Nautilus.

"What's so amusing, Potter?" Severus snipped.

"Oh it's back to Potter now is it, Snape?" Harry mischievously replied.

"Why, you little…" Severus sneered as he moved closer to Harry, only to be cut short when Draco yelped as he turned the key over, noticing something on the other side. Harry and Severus were pulled from their minor bickering, as both looked over the blonde's shoulder to view the lettering. Sure enough on the reverse side of the key there were three more words.

"Capitulus Arcanum Lacus." Draco spoke in his best Latin accent. Harry looked at Severus for a translation of the script, receiving blank stares in return. Harry raised his eyebrows at Severus, giving the equivalent of an unspoken nudge, but, still the professor didn't respond.

"I thought you were the bloody teacher here? Harry snapped at Severus, his patience thinning as he believed Severus was sulking over the Snape jibe.

"I'm a bloody potion's master, not a fucking language expect!" spat Severus.

"Well from that remark, you're fluent in foul language as well, Severus." Harry sarcastically whispered, as Draco giggled. The eldest of the trio decided to let that last remark go over his head, but did offer Harry the victory sign, which a smiling Harry accepted.

"Enough you two; it's like being back at school. Do try and get on, please?" Draco pleaded. Both men apologised for their antics and looked on again as the blond studied the words some more.

"NEMO!" Draco exclaimed, "Is the Latin word for nothing…I think?"

Harry spoke up. Unbeknown to most, Latin was one of Harry's favourite languages. In the times before he and Draco got together, Harry would spend hours reading Latin classics in the Astronomy Tower. They allowed his mind to flicker between thoughts of Caesar and Mark Anthony, and his growing passion for Draco. Motioning to Draco to pass him the key, Harry held it up to the light to make sure that a hidden word would not be revealed and then corrected Draco's grammar.

"Nemo, actually means 'nobody'; the Latin for nothing is 'nil'." Severus couldn't have looked more jealous if he wanted to. It was a fact that Harry relished, especially when Draco gave him a luxuriant kiss for being so clever.

"Mr. Potter. The rest of the translation. Today, if you please." Draco let go of Harry, giving him one last peck on the cheek as he looked at the other side of the key, and the three words carved on it.

"Capitulus Arcanum Lacus, this doesn't actually make any sense," Draco said, trying to reaffirm the language skills that he actually possessed. "This literally translates as chapter sacred lake" Draco said, Harry nodded agreement.

He couldn't make any sense of this trio of words either. Severus seeing that the boy's enthusiasm was quickly starting to slide took charge of the situation again. "That key will belong somewhere, but, for now, we would be better placed in the vaults of Gringotts, don't you agree?" The snarky voice drew their attention back to the present.

Harry and Draco, shaken to action, followed Severus through to the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley. Walking past the Apothecary shop, dodging some squabbling children outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, moving on past the stationary shop, they then quickly followed Severus's lead by ducking into Flourish and Blotts.

Severus explaining that a wizard walking their way was a prominent Death Eater, the last thing they needed was to be discovered out in the open, after all. When the coast was clear, they resumed the short journey past Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and up the steps to the biggest building on the alley.

They approached the bronze front doors of Gringotts via steps of white marble. A goblin stood guard outside, dressed in a uniform of scarlet and gold. Passing through the front doors, they walked into an entrance chamber facing another set of doors. These doors were silver and over these was a rhyme.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

of what awaits the sin of greed

for those who take, but do not earn, 

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

a treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

of finding more than treasure there.

Harry looked the two goblins who were guarding these doors; they appeared apathetic to their surroundings, as they opened the doors for our three to enter. Once in the main hall, the long tables either side of the room had high-chair seated goblins, hard at work counting and weighing coins, writing in ledger books, and examining precious stones. The goblins of Gringotts were renowned in the wizarding world for being the most arrogant of creatures; to deal with them required plenty of patience.

Draco approached the information desk and holding out the key to the goblin on duty, a Mr. Griphook, Draco asked if they could be shown to the vault in question.

"No." was the only response from the goblin, followed by a "Next?"

"Excuse me, I am Professor Severus Snape. My companions and I believe this key to belong to a Gringotts bank vault, and the solution to a riddle therein." Severus was trying to keep his temper in check; Harry wasn't having any luck keeping Draco from exploding.

"Listen here, you insufferable little troll!" Draco was seething.

"Goblin." Griphook corrected with a small smile.

"Listen here, you insuff… oh very funny!" Draco said, as the Goblin sneered at him. 

"This key does not belong to a Gringotts bank vault. Every one of our keys has the Gringotts coat of arms on it. This does not. Therefore this does not belong, to this bank. Therefore, our business is concluded. Now move along; there are customers who need my help." Griphook jeered.

A herd of guard goblins descended on the information desk. It was obvious that attitude of any kind would not be tolerated here.

"Mr. Griphook?" Harry respectfully spoke. "My name is Harry Potter. Please forgive my friend, he is very upset. Do you know where this key may fit?" The goblin shook his head; the show of respect in Harry's voice had a positive effect on Griphook.

Either this or the name carried some weight here at the wizarding bank, as it seemed to do in the rest of the wizarding world. The guards backed off, making the situation at the desk seem a lot less tense now. Draco took Harry's lead and asked a polite question of his own.

"Mr. Goblin, sir. Can you give me the key to the Malfoy family vault? I am Draco Lucius Malfoy, and I am the next Lord of Malfoy Manor."

"No." replied Griphook. This incensed Draco, and caused Severus to become a little more animated than he felt was helpful afterwards. Harry pulled Draco into a calming hug and whispered discretely for him to calm down.

"Dray, stop getting angry. He is deliberately tormenting you. I'll take care of this. Now, please go outside with Severus. The last thing we need is to be forcibly removed from the bank before we have any answers," Harry murmured.

"Ok, but, please hurry, time may be running out." Draco said in a soft pleading voice that made Harry just want to kiss him and reassure him, but that would have to wait, as Harry watched Draco and Severus walk towards the door. Harry didn't know which one looked the more dejected; Severus especially looked like his whole world was crumbling down.

Harry returned to his conversation with the wiry old goblin. "Thank you, Mr. Griphook. My friends are very upset as you can see. We are trying to locate either the location that key opens, or the Malfoy-Potter family vault" Harry kept his eyes down; he didn't want to be seen as being pushy.

"Mr. Potter, the Malfoy-Potter vault, like all others in this establishment, needs the relevant clearance to gain access." Griphook informed as he returned to his ledger and offered no other explanation.

"Just one more thing sir!" Harry asked. "What is the appropriate clearance needed for this vault?"

"A key Mr. Potter. The vault can only be accessed with the pass key."

Harry pleaded one last question, knowing that the goblin was highly unlikely to be accommodating. "Where can I find the key?" Harry was even more confused when he was given the answer: "The key-holder has the key; you just need to ask them. Now. NEXT!" and Harry was jostled out of the line, as the queue behind him had finally grown weary of their extended wait.

Harry's face gave away the fact that they were no nearer finding where the key belonged. And even further away from where Lucius was. 

Instructing Draco and Harry that it was time to return to their room, Severus lead to way out of Diagon Alley back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Draco didn't even stop off in the bar part of the Leaky Cauldron for food. He felt gutted, and went upstairs to his room to lay on the bed and cry, tears just rolled down his cheek. Harry had let him go on ahead; he wanted to relay to Severus the further snippets of information that Griphook had offered.

When he finally entered the room he was met by his beautiful, cherished boyfriend curled up on his bed, his face reddened with tearstains. Sitting down on the bed next to him, Harry ran his fingers lightly through Draco's hair, jolting the blonde to sit up and through his arms around Harry's neck.

"Harry, I'm so scared…don't leave me! Promise you won't ever leave me!"

Harry pulled his lover into a tight embrace, placing butterfly kisses on his face. "I'll never leave you, Angel. I love you," Harry whispered. 

Outside the door Severus could hear his lover's son being comforted the way he so loved receiving himself. How he missed Lucius, how he wished that he were here in the special bed they shared so many times over the years. Severus' thoughts faded to a time long past, a happier time.

:Flashback:

Wisps of the long pale hair tickled as he made his was down the lean body below him, marking a trail from neck to hip.

"Luc, stop teasing me." The dark eyed wizard moaned, straining his hips in a silent plea to his lover.

"Tell me, Severus…tell me what you want." Lucius said. "All you have to do is tell me."

"I want you… in me… around me… always." He whimpered as Lucius swallowed him to the root.

: End Flashback:

A guttural moan brought Severus back to the present with a start. 'Damn it, Luc', he thought, 'You promised me you'd never leave me.' 

"Harry, I feel so dead inside. I need you to take away those feelings from my mind…make me see only you, feel only you, hear only my voice screaming your name as you take me to the edge and beyond."

"Draco I promise." Harry pulled Draco's clothes off gently and disrobing himself, climbed up on top of his lover. Harry wasn't in a rush; he wanted to taste every single inch of his lover's body.

The need to comfort by exploring and touching every inch of Draco's skin was paramount in his mind. To feast on Draco's unique aroma, and drink of his desire, skilful hands and mouth deliver pleasure and comfort in equal amounts. 

Harry turned Draco around so that he was facing Draco's back and kissing the back of his neck expertly manoeuvred him off the bed to the rug in front of the fire. Licking down the top of Draco's back, Harry inhaled in the smell of his lover, with each new pheromone that Draco released Harry's already growing desire to fuck his lover increased. Draco's rearward thrusts begged Harry to enter him, claiming him again as his own.

Harry pushed Draco down forcing his head into the pillow that lay on the floor, raising Draco's perfect white globes up towards Harry's awaiting attention. Rubbing his tongue over the top of Draco's firm buttocks, Harry inhaled Draco's wonderfully evocative musk; it was pure pheromone heaven for him.

Licking down the between his lovers cheeks, he could hear Draco scream his name louder and louder, the closer he went to Draco, opening with his tongue.

Harry spread Draco's legs wide apart and pulled his ball sack back towards his hot pucker, devoutly paying attention to Draco's tight hole and ball sack. He let his tongue go from working frantically around his balls, to darting in and out of his needful opening. 

Draco was rocking his pelvis and thrusting his hips back and forward into Harry's obliging mouth; the more attention Harry's mouth paid Draco's body, the more relaxed and eager for his lover to be inside him Draco became.

Harry manoeuvred to the front of Draco, and lifting his head up presented him with his cock to suck. Draco submitted in his willingness to do anything for the lover he desired. He sucked Harry's cock greedily, relaxing his throat so that all of Harry could get down his throat and he could feel the hairs on Harry ball sack softly scratch against his chin.

Draco's hands were probing at Harry's opening, with each face fuck thrust that Harry did to Draco, Draco in turn groped more intently so that he managed to get one finger from each hand inside Harry's hot hole. The more he probed, the more Harry screamed his name.

Repositioning himself so he was now lay on his side facing Draco with his cock in Draco's mouth; Harry started thrusting away, whilst Draco's hard cock was sliding into his own mouth.

Harry pushed a finger into Draco's hole and felt the warm slippery welcoming therein; it was more than either could take and in a last frenzy of mouth fucking and anal finger probing, they moved together. Everything that the two were doing was spurred by the previous action of the other; this was love-making with no rules, no pre-planned agenda, just reactions to movements, just one goal for both, the pleasure of the other by giving and receiving more pleasure than was ever imaginable.

When Harry entered Draco, he did so as Draco requested, with impact: slamming his hips against Draco's arse, slapping his balls against Draco's crack in deep steady lunges. Altering the speed as he changed the angle he slammed his cock into, until without warning his cock exploded filling his lover with stream after stream of love, bathing that heated inside with his commitment.

Shaking himself, Severus could make out the sounds coming from the next room; in his haste to comfort his lover, Harry had neglected to raise a silencing charm. Severus was at pains with himself; he was grieving for the loss of his lover, and was forced to hear his godson's ecstasy being screamed at the top of Draco's voice as Harry slammed away at him in the other room. Not able to control his own erection, but, feeling guilt-ridden that he had one, Severus got off his own bed and went to the window in his small room over looking the muggle thoroughfare, Charring Cross Road. 

Thoughts of the day came back to him. What did the key mean? What was the significance of the words that were carved on it? It was surely another clue. But what did it mean, what other clues were in the letter? Thoughts of his love for Lucius came back to him as tears welled up in his eyes. Why did he have to be lonely when they were having mad passionate sex next door? Life was a bitch! he thought.

He looked out over Muggle London and the buildings in view and told himself how far the muggles had become, the Blind Pub and the Elephant and Castle further down the street – which was opposite Severus window – were examples of Victorian splendour. Over the tops of these buildings and in the distance, he saw the huge muggle park where he used to enjoy long strolls around the lake with Lucius.

It was no good; the more he thought about Lucius, the more he grieved. Sighing deeply, he decided to go and get some scotch from the bar before retiring. He left his room and started to climb down the stairs to the public bar. Getting about five stairs down, a revelation hit Severus like a light had just been turned on in his head.

Turning around in the snappiest show of billowing robes imaginable, Severus charged back to the window in his room, staring intently at the building opposite. It must be…it surely must be! he thought, as his eyes were glaring at the sign above the public house's door:.

The Blind Beggar.

Beta'd by the amazing sbkar, many thanks


	4. Chapter 4

Saving Lucius

By

Sa1boy

Chapter 4

Cause you're not here.

Beta DracosMinx.

"Draco, I love you, yes there, that's it, DRACO…….."

Draco Malfoy turning the tables on his lover repaid the comprehensive buggering that Harry had given him earlier.

"I know love, I know. We better get up I'm famished." Both boys had been making love for hours, forgetting to silence the room in the process. Mistress Vamp was sure to add on extra for noise pollution they thought.

Sitting up in bed Harry had started to be aroused once more at the sight of his beautiful boyfriends body sauntering over to the window, those globes, they were worthy of all the praise in wizardom, they were indeed Harry's comfort zone.

Harry started to chuckle when he saw Draco's shoulder's lift and drop in quick succession, presuming he was laughing at Harry's staring, jumping from the bed as he realised that they were in fact, the desperate movements of a lover, in tears.

"Draco, are you ok?" Harry moved in behind Draco wrapping his arms around Draco's waist, pulling him into a lovers embrace, tracing lines down his neck with his tongue, allowing his lovers tears to freely flow.

Just as Harry was about to usher Draco back to the bed, a strange site caught his eye.  
It looked like a long ladder, looking closer; Harry didn't have his glasses on, making viewing anything more than ten feet away difficult. He observed someone climbing the said ladder and tapping on their window. It was Severus.

"Draco, why is your godfather tapping on our window?" Draco wiped his eyes, and stared at Severus, seemingly mouthing something at the same time as trying to hold on to the ladder and point at the building across the street.

"Lost his key?" Draco shyly offered, before both boys realised Severus would never forget the images of two of them with revitalised erections, stood in a pose a Vogue editor would sell her own Granny for. "Accio clothes!" they both shouted, as garments flew in their direction rather reminiscent of the onset of a cyclone. Severus was still tap, tap, tapping at the window, a look of triumph lighting up his face.

Pulling on clothes that probably weren't theirs, Draco did like the tighty whities of Harry's Y fronts; they appeared more presentable than having their manhood's pointing tellingly at the potion professor.

Harry moved toglass doors, flinging the window open so that Severus could reveal, the reason he was actually dangling precariously on an old and battered wooden ladder in the muggle side of the Leakey Cauldron. Thankfully Draco could see what Harry was going to do and had his wand in hand to halt the speedily falling Severus before he hit the floor, gently lowering him to ground.

"Sorry" ran out from Harry. "I didn't know the windows opened outwards" was his defence.

Leaning out of the window, Draco shouted down to his godfather.

"Sev, what the hell are you doing on the wooden rope outside our window?"

"Sorry Severus didn't mean to nearly kill you" Added Harry as he too looked down at the seething wizard.

"Get down here this instance and bring that fucking letter" Severus sat down on the windowsill of the Blind Beggar pub and waited patiently as the boys joined him.  
The road was deserted; all sound save the piped music from the Blind Beggar seemed void in the air. Severus's ears picked up, it was their song. It was the song that Lucius first sang to Severus back when they would easily give the golden duo a run for their money, and then some. 

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old  
And darker days are drawing near.  
The winter winds will be much colder  
Now you're not here.

Oh the joys of solace at times like this Severus thought, that song, it meant so much to both Lucius and he. It was the song that Lucius had written for Severus, many years ago when he was in a band to signify the loss he always felt when his love wasn't there.

I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky  
And one by one they disappear.  
I wish that I was flying with them  
Now you're not here.

Severus could almost feel the presence of his lover; almost hear the dulcet rich tones of his voice comforting him, soothing his soul.

"Like the sun through trees you came to love me. Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away" Severus sang, sobbing a low moan, the loss of his lover, his life was affecting him profoundly. He needed his lucky charm, he needed his Lucius.

Suddenly accompanying the sound from the pub, Severus could swear he could hear the real thing near bye, singing along to the music, serenading him. Severus closed his eyes and thought of Lucius, believing his luck was not that favourable.

Through autumn's golden gown we used to kick our way,  
You always loved this time of year.  
Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now  
'Cause you're not here.

Harry and Draco stepped into the bar of the Leakey Cauldron to whoops of applause from Vampy and her husband Tom.

"I have a job for you two if you wanna skip the rest of school? My resident nymphets Senorita Sonya and Mistress Tina Twinkle have pulled out of their new show. Technical difficulties with their snake they said. The noise and antics you got up to certainly perk our customers up no end, and no silencing charms, we do like that don't we Tom?"

Harry was dragged out of there as quickly as his legs would allow to observe a very sombre looking Severus sat on the windowsill of the opposite building, the sounds of the jukebox ringing in Harry's ear, Severus singing along with it tears silently falling down his face.

"'Cause you're not here.' Cause you're not here"

"Severus, who are you singing to? And why are you crying?" Severus stood up, blew his nose and looked then in the eyes.

"I was not crying, I was rejoicing your imbeciles failed attempts at murder" Both boys silently chuckled at this; it was pointless to argue with someone like Severus.

"Have you the letter?" Severus asked excitedly.

Draco took it out and opening it up stared in disbelief at the jabbing finger severus was using in an attempt to highlight the area of text he found important.

A blind beggar on a Firebolt

"Don't you see it's a clue, it's another clue, Lucius isn't dead he's in hiding, Draco he is alive." Severus had the now familiar tears in his eyes as Draco looking at the line of text in the letter and the name of the sign dangling above the door.

"Shit…. Harry, it's true. Do you really think so, could he still be alive?" Harry put his arm on his lovers shoulder giving a gentle tug of his cloak, Harry knew that if they were going to find answers to this new clue, they would likely be inside the building, not out here on the street.

"Severus tell me, why were you trying to climb up to our window?" asked Draco in a confused sort of voice.

"You forgot a silencing charm; the corridor was full to capacity of masturbating minxes, of all shapes and sizes. Be more careful next time." Severus led the way into the Blind Beggar, his two young companions following, not hearing the encore of the song coming from behind him as a lone figure stood in a darkened alley way singing softly to his lover of two decades and his beloved son.

"Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,  
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away.  
A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes   
As if to hide a lonely tear,  
My life will be forever autumn   
'Cause you're not here"  
Stepping out of the shadows Lucius Malfoy hoped that his lover would solve all his clues before it was too late, he looked longingly at the front door of the Blind Beggar, hoping he could just walk through it, reuniting himself with the ones he loved.

Sweetly breathing the last lines of his very own 'Ode to Severus' as he apparated back to his hideout.

"Cause your not here…"

Please review, how am I doing?


	5. Chapter 5

Saving Lucius by sa1boy  
Chapter 5  
The Blind Beggar

Beta'd by Wolfiekins and Calanthe, many thanks to you both.

"Fancy dress is it?" The shabby grey-haired woman said as the three strangers walked into The Blind Beggar. She addressed Severus and his young companions with an enquiring tone.

"What...?" spat Sev, in an equally stand-offish manner.

"Keep your hair on, dearie! I was only being polite! You thespians are all the same, walkin' round pretending you're something you're not. Saw some fellow that looked like you on a couple of those action movies. Sure he tried to ban Christmas in one? Thank heavens for that fellow in the green tights I say! But that couldn't have been you, dearie…he had talent."

"That's enuff from yew, Moe!" growled the mean, spiteful looking man from behind the bar. "What 'ave I told yew about pesterin' da clien'ele? One more word from you and you'll be following that friend out the door! Understand, Moe?" Then, he turned to the new customers and spoke in an all together politer tone.

"Lawd above! Fancy a tiddley wink, geezer?" The two boys looked at each other not really knowing what to say.

Draco turned to Harry and said, "You're the Latin expert. What did he just say?" in a tone he hoped only Harry could hear.

"He's asking what you want to drink, lovey," Moe piped up, finding the visitors' confusion over the Cockney slang quite amusing.

"Coke, three glasses, please," said Harry. Taking the drinks to the quietest table at the back of the pub, Harry, Draco, and Sev unfurled the parchment from Lucius, studying the references to The Blind Beggar in the lines.

"Gordon Bennet! Slasher, is that you? Lawd above i' is, ain't it?" 

Severus continued to look at the parchment in front of him as a large built man with a weathered, life-bitten face slapped down heavily on his shoulders.

"Ignore him boys, I'll deal with this." Severus said in a cold, hard voice. Neither boy had ever heard Severus sound so mean.

"It's me…its Wolfie, don't you remember? I'm not suprised, the last lemon 'n  
lime you came in 'ere you were with Lucky Luke and you cleaned us out of all our money. Well, now what you are with your little bitches. I wan' i' back, an' I won' take no for an answer."

Wolfie's mind reverted to a time when Severus and Lucius had cleared him of all his money during a game of poker. Losing money gave poor old Wolfie a long memory, it seemed. Slamming the blade of a knife down on the table and just barely missing Draco's hand, Wolfie showed his intent to the rapidly angering Potions Master.

"Listen here, Wolfie-kins," Severus sneered as he kicked his chair back, knocking it over and getting the attention of all in the small bar. Those that heard him refer sarcastically to the brute as 'Wolfiekins' snickered, much to Wolfie's chagrin. He grabbed his flick knife and held it out to the stern-looking wizard.

"The last time you held a blade on me Little Red Riding Hood, I sliced your ear off. Next time I said I would slit your throat," Severus shouting the line to insult, rather than inform. "I am warning you, you filthy excuse for humanity, if you mess with me, I will...end you."

Severus stood still, staring intently at Wolfie, prepared to carry out the threat. The last time Severus came across this darker side of London, was with his lover, Lucius, and it was when they were young and dangerous. Severus hadn't even swatted a fly in the last ten years, let alone participated in a barroom brawl.

"You haven't the bottle without that psycho boyfriend of yours. You only 'ave babies for back up, what are they gonna do against a room full of us?" With that, it seemed everyone else in the room had appeared behind Wolfie, all of them standing ready to charge on his command. Harry felt the squeeze of Draco's hand against his knee, as he reached down into his boot to fetch his and Draco's wands.

Wolfie and his new gang stopped dead in their tracks as Severus spoke again, loud enough for all to hear, "The boy behind me is the son of that psycho. Do you really want to see him in a bad mood?" Severus took one step towards Wolfie and his cronies, and all except Wolfie stepped back in the face of the wizard's advance. "Back off, or be beaten down…it is your choice," Severus warned.

Wolfie lunged forward, thrusting his knife at Severus, but this didn't pose a serious threat, as Severus side-stepped easily. The hooligan fell forward, losing control as Severus brought his elbow crashing down on the back of Wolfe's head, dazing him, and knocking him to the floor. Wolfie tried to scamper to his feet, but was stopped by the Potions Master, who grabbed his jacket collar.

"I warned you, scum. Some people never learn! Say goodnight!" With that  
Severus leant back slightly, and then in one quick motion, crashed his head into Wolfe's forehead, knocking him out. Severus let go of the oversized yob who slumped to the floor, the rest of the pub acting as if nothing had happened.

Severus threw his head back, adjusted his hair, and returned to his shocked young companions, sitting back down in the spare seat at the table. "Nothing like a good brawl to clear the mind, I always say," Severus said casually. Draco and Harry looked at him, and then across the room. All references to the little tiff with Wolfie seemed to have been forgotten. Everyone appeared to be getting on with their own business.

"What the fuck was that about, Sev?" asked Draco

"And was that guy referring to Lucius as 'Lucky Luke'? Because if he was, I'm sure I caught him saying it."

"Enough speculation, Potter. We have Draco's father to find, or have you forgotten?" Severus cut him off, skilfully dragging Lucius' disappearance into the conversation to side-swipe Harry.

"Yeah, Harry, shut up with the questions; we have to find my Dad." Harry looked at Draco, and made a mental note to revisit this topic at a later date. Returning their attentions to the parchment, they studied the line I 'A blind beggar on a Firebolt could see the way you look at him' /I ; Severus read it again, and lifted his eyes from the missive and surveyed the pub. There were no pictures on the walls, only newspaper clippings on horseracing and a few random page three bimbos. Harry watched what Severus was doing and joined him in quiet study.

Draco kept his eyes firmly on the letter, reading it over again to see if there was some detail he had missed. Like the proverbial penny dropping, suddenly Draco saw the answer._ I Firebolt. A blind beggar on a Firebolt! /I _ A smile spread across his face.

Harry noticed his lover's excited expression, and couldn't help a smile from gracing his lips as he waited for Draco's explanation. "A blind beggar on a Firebolt, well…what is a Firebolt?" Draco asked triumphantly.

"A broom of course!" chorused Harry and Severus, a smile appearing on both mouths simultaneously, this time in realisation that this was a clue. And the clue was outside. Getting up a little too quickly, Harry and Severus bumped heads. Harry yelped "Ouch!" while Severus grumbled "Prat!" Draco giggled as he rolled up the parchment and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. Stepping over a now stirring Wolfie, the three men made for the front door to continue the search with the aid of their brooms.

Unbeknownst to the trio, Wolfie had reached into his pocket, pulling out a small handgun. As the pub door closed behind Draco, the oversized thug aimed at the spot where the young wizard's head would be on the other side, pulling the trigger. In the split second before the hammer dropped, Wolfie was suddenly petrified, unable to move. A figure swiftly moved in between the thug and the now closed door, further blocking the bullet's path through the old wood and a probable fatality on the other side.

"Hurt my family would you, scum?" Lucius' voice was heard. At this, the small side door to the pub suddenly burst open, and everyone, including the barman, ran out in a frenzied state. The only person left, Moe, stood over Wolfie speaking again.

"Moe, what the fuck do you want?" Moe's appearance shimmied into that of a very menacing looking Lucius Malfoy. Standing over Wolfie, his wand out stretched.

"Blimey! Luke, don't 'urt me! I was just stretchin' me bones. Honest" Wolfie stammered.

Lucius bent over, tapping the handgun once with his wand. "Put the gun in your mouth."

Wolfie's eyes went wide in shock, staring at Lucius and then at the gun in his hand, which was beginning to turn, slowly pointing in the direction of his mouth. Sweat broke out on Wolfie's forehead, as he fought and struggled against it, but no matter what he did, his hand and the gun were travelling to the destination Lucius had ordered. Wolfie made one last, desperate plea.

"Lawd above! No, Luke, 'ave mercy! What are you doin' ter me?"

Wolfie wailed frantically. Lucius cast a Silencing charm on the bar. Turning to the now screaming Wolfie, the muzzle of the gun was pressed against the roof of his mouth. Miming a gun with the fingers of his right hand, Lucius clicked down with his thumb; Wolfie's finger squeezed the trigger. The muffled screaming stopped as the back of Wolfie's head splattered against the bar wall.

"Bang!" was all Lucius said as he apparated back to his hiding place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back across the street, the only sign of any unrest in The Blind Beggar was the flickering of the electric lights for the briefest of moments.

"Hello, my dearie, back for a repeat performance, is we? My regulars were delighted with your last session. I even have some offering ...100 galle..." Snape cut Mistress Vamp off in mid sentence.

"Finish that sentence...At...Your…Peril!" The bar area of The Leaky Cauldron took on a decidedly quieter tone on this threat; although, the young men did still get kisses floating in their direction. Severus' icy threat, and the death glare he'd been practicing for Draco and Harry, allowed the trio to make their way to the bar and the chore at hand.

"We require three brooms," Severus spoke, his tone menacing and immediate.

"Oh, I'm not sure, dearie. What do you want them for?" came Vampy's puzzled reply.

"Do you have three brooms or not, you overbearing, bloodsucking bitch?"  
Severus snapped his patience, as well as that of Harry and Draco, wearing very thin. Mistress Vamp huffed herself from her corner, looking totally affronted.

"There's no need to be rude, dear. In the corner over there, you'll have to use the house ones; they're old but they'll do. Going for a nice fly, are we? Don't forget to put a Concealing charm on now, dearie. And we'll have none of your name-calling here, if you don't mind. I'll tell my husband about this, I will!" She threw a glance across the room at her long-suffering spouse.

Tom decided to return to his conversation with the Tell-All-Mirror, not wanting a conflict with the three powerful wizards. He was quietly happy someone had finally put his obnoxious wife firmly in her place.

Severus and the boys made for the oversized umbrella pot in the corner of the bar. To no one's surprise, all the brooms that stood in it were by the same maker; they were all Firebolt s, taking the brooms, Draco, Harry and their Professor went back to Severus' room. Once there, they put a 'Blend into the Background' spell on each other, and took off on the brooms through the open window. Severus was extremely wobbly at first, but, quickly regained his composure, remembering how much he missed the simple pleasure of flying.

They flew around The Blind Beggar, until all had comfortably mastered their new brooms, and then took off skyward for the roof of the pub. It was a four-storey, rather run-down pub, but not without a definite Victorian charm. Severus arrived last, Draco and Harry being the more capable on their rides.

They hovered very close to the roof, not seeing anything other than whitewashed roof tiles. 'Since when did people paint their roofs white?' Draco thought, then had an idea that they were perhaps a little too close to the building to see any clue, if one indeed was there.

Taking off, Draco climbed about twenty metres before Harry and Severus were forced to join him, wondering why their companion was making such a lot of joyful noise. "It's here, the clue, its here," chortled Draco, pointing down at the image his lofty position had now afforded him. Harry came to a hover next to him, laughing in unison with his lover.

"You were right, Sev, you were right! Look!" Pointing at the building fifty feet below, the pattern on the roof of the building was a huge white arrow pointing south. In the distance Draco could just make out the tree line of Hyde Park.


	6. Chapter 6

Saving Lucius by sa1boy

Chapter 6

"Lucius, my impatience grows with each passing minute. Where is the progress report on the whereabouts of your wife? Can you confirm to me where Narcissa has disappeared to? I was hoping that you would have returned with her, so that she may be prepared for her new mate." 

The Dark Lord was not pleased with his Number One. Lucius had been tasked with finding his wife so that Lord Voldemort could give her to his newest ally.

"My Lord, perhaps if my sweet Narcissa knew the identity of her new love, she would be more inclined to show her face?"

"Crucio!" spat the Dark Lord, raising his wand to Lucius. Thrusting it at him intently, forcing more of his power into the Cruciatus curse. With each thrust, Lucius' screams were the only indication of the severity of the invisible attack. Wave after wave of malevolent energy was penetrating deep into the blonde aristocrat's skin.

"Please, my Lord, forgive me?" Bubbling sores were erupting on Lucius' face, the intensity of the Cruciatus more severe than he had ever felt before.

"Tell me, Lucius, how is it that Narcissa cannot be found? Do you not have your cronies scrying for her?" 

Lucius stood up, attempting to hide his agony from his master's onslaught. He'd hidden his wife; he didn't care who she shagged, that was not why he was playing this very dangerous game with his life.

He would give Narcissa's heart on a silver platter if he could further his goals at world domination. But there was one thing in the way. That was Voldemort's newest ally. Lucius had not been included in the plan, had not been consulted as to the nature or identity of the new player. All that was said was that when the time was right, the new 'right hand' to the Dark Lord would reach out and smite all those in the Light.

His only fee for this great service he would perform would be the bride of Lucius Malfoy.

Now Lucius had his own agenda in life.

1st Rule the world

2nd Have heirs to follow suit

3rd Marry his love

Now…Lucius didn't care which way he ruled the magical world. Light was as good as Dark to him; it just mattered that he ruled. Call it 'megalomaniacal self-preservation', if you want. One thing that Lucius had in abundance was cunning. He was the most gifted espionage agent the wizarding world had ever seen. Every successful raid or battle Voldemort's forces succeeded in against the Light, would invariably have been designed on Lucius' information.

Lucius planned that the boy who lived would be seduced by his son Draco from the first day he went to Hogwarts. It was far from being an accident that Draco fell in love with Harry. It was the culmination of a carefully sculptured plan, which was five painful years in the making.

After Harry married Draco, Lucius would have a new ally of his own. And he would marry him, his sense of right and wrong would demand it, after they made love next, and Draco found he was pregnant.

Oh yes, Draco's pregnancy. 

Lucius wasn't in the Blind Beggar pub by accident earlier tonight; he, or should I more accurately say, Moe, was there to slip a highly potent fertility draft into the drink his son had been given. Lucius, under his glamour, had spelled the draft into Draco's glass, as Severus made all that commotion.

It would last for twenty-four hours. As it was nearly midnight, he figured that his son and his son's lover would retire for the evening, to follow whatever clues he may have left in the morning. He was, of course, correct as once Draco and his companions realised the direction their next clue was to take them, they decided it would be best to get an early night. And tackle tomorrow with renewed hope.

"Sorry, Lord, I killed one of them earlier this evening; inefficiency cannot be tolerated. I will personally search for her, my Lord." Lucius had two drafts earlier in the Blind Beggar pub. The second one was a sleeping draft, aimed for his lover, Severus.

"Lucius, I will remember what you have said. You have seventy-two hours to bring me Narcissa, or I will give my new ally your son instead. Do I make myself clear?"

Lucius backed away out of the room where the Dark Lord was beginning a conversation with Nagini, his pet snake. 

"I understand, Lord, I will bring you one or the other by that time."

Lucius apparated to the doorway he had been in before that evening, and watched as his lover and son were followed into Severus' window, by the one who ultimately would save them all: Harry Potter.

Lucius knew that as soon as Draco became pregnant, Harry would be classed as family, and as family, would be forced to include Lucius within his protective shield. Lucius could then reveal himself, inform on the ally and help Harry to kill Voldemort, and if in the process Harry got killed as well, well…so be it. Lucius would pick up the pieces, and eventually Dumbledore would perish without the Golden Boy to protect him.

Lucius waited until the lights went out and levitated himself under a veil of invisibility to Severus' window. Looking in he saw his life, his lover, naked on the bed, face down, appearing to be asleep.

Hovering over to the next window he observed Harry undressing his son, confident that he was going to be granted his wish of a bonded mate for his son, another heir for the Malfoy name and a protector all-in-one. His plan was coming together.

Moving back to Sev' s window, he waited 'til the potions master stirred no more and let himself in. Severus moaned in his sleep. The feel of Lucius sucking a nipple into his mouth, alternating between nipping and laving at the hard pebble, while fingers plucked and teased their way down his body had to be a dream. "Luciusss," he slurred in his sleep.

Severus rolled towards the warmth and heat crying out as the mouth moved lower, leaving wet trails cooling in the night air. With a guttural sound, Severus thrust forward as the head of his cock was tormented first with a series of small licks then one hard pulling suck before the wet mouth moved yet again.

Severus' top leg was gently pushed up as the mouth moved over his sack first, then made a long swipe up to circle around the tight pucker quivering in anticipation. Severus arched back, feeling two slick fingers enter him… pushing and stretching.

Severus gasped as the head a cock breached the tight ring of muscle. "Oh, gods! Lucius!" The slow thrusting against his prostate rocked the sleeping man to murmuring pleas for release. "Luc… now, I need you… here."

Feeling a hand close around his cock, Severus pushed into the tight hold with every thrust from behind. Moments…minutes or seconds…later, Severus pulsed with a sharp grunt, covering his stomach and linens in the warm bitter fluid of satisfaction. Arching back, he could feel his lover tip over the edge with him.

Lucius left satisfied that he had just reaffirmed his love for his drugged mate. Unaware that in the next room Harry couldn't wake his lover.


	7. Chapter 7

"Cause your not here, la la la"

Severus Snape woke in a particularly good mood. He didn't know why his dream affected him so much, but the last time he remembered an occasion where he and Lucius were that close, it wasn't actually a dream.  
Sev felt rather youthful again, and to celebrate the eroticism the dreams memory had allowed to linger, Severus had wanked himself silly before coming down to breakfast.

"Fuck you sound happy, run over a small child with your broom on the way down?" Harry said in a sarcy kind of way.

He had been hoping for some deep meaningful sex the previous night; but his lover couldn't keep awake for long enough to raise a smile, let alone an erection. And there was one thing that made Harry grumpy more than anything, and that was not getting his daily allowance.

He was still a hormonal driven teenager after all.

"Very…Funny…Potter. I'll have you know, some of us are just, morning… people"

Harry snickered but carried on eating the toast that Vampy had fetched him earlier, she was however keeping her distance. Harry had threatened to flay her alive if she didn't stop asking stupid questions. And he was the nice one out of the three.

With the arrival of a cheery Snape she didn't really know what to do. Approach or wait to be called? She chose the later.

"You, tea, quickly" Severus ordered, Harry snorted.

"Morning person indeed"

Severus ignored that last comment and enquired after his god son.

"Where is Draco?"

"The lazy git can't wake up"

"What do you mean? Can't wake up, or won't wake up?"

"He couldn't keep his eyes open when we went up to our room last night; I had to put him to bed. Then he didn't even stir all night, not a peep. When I got up this morning and tried to get him to come down for breakfast, he wouldn't wake up. I've left him there for the time being. I'll wake him when we are ready to go."

"Perhaps you won't need to Mr. Potter, It appears sleeping beauty has arisen"

Draco walked down the stairs, yawning and stretching along the way. Vampy rushed over to say hello, wishing she hadn't when he snapped at her.

"Just like your father, terrible moody in the mornings" She commented, before going back to making Severus his tea.

"I can't believe I am so tired. You didn't put a sleeping draft in my drink did you Sev?" Severus shook his head, a questioning look on his face.

"Its just I wasn't tired and was looking forward to Harry, then I couldn't keep awake. I felt like I had no control over whether I was asleep or not"

No one commented on this, Draco sat down in the chair next to Harry and snuggled up to him, allowing Harry to feed him some toast and rub gentle circles down his back.

"Sev, you look happy today, did you get a bit last night?" Harry snorted, sending his last mouthful of coffee over the table.

"Oh are you alright dearie, you want to be careful, don't want it going down the wrong way now" Shouted Vampy from the bar.

"I was just saying to your friend, that some of us are merely, more enervated in the mornings than others. Now I suggest you get your arse in gear, or have you forgotten what we are here for?"

Feeling the impact of the last statement Draco asked to be excused and went to take a shower.

"Harry, can you come with me please? I seem to have misplaced my…"

The raised eyebrow from Severus notified Draco, that the request was understood as,

'Harry, fancy a quickie?' Draco decided to let the sentence trail off and see if Harry would join him.

"I better go…"

"Shag" Severus finished the statement for him, adding.

"One hour Mr. Potter, that is how long you have to help Mr. Malfoy find his, you know what." Leaning over to a standing Harry, Severus added

"Don't even think about keeping me waiting"

Harry sprinted up the stairs, charging into the room he was sharing with Draco to hear the sound of water running from the en-suite bathroom. Pulling off his clothes he sneaked in to find a lathered up Adonis waiting for him.

"I thought you'd never come Harry, I was all lonely"

"We have an hour" Harry said breathlessly as he walked toward his glistening lover.

"Then I suggest we don't waste any time talking" Harry was all for that as he went down on his knees, cupping his hands around Draco's perfect globes, pulling him closer. Harry's face was in Draco's pubic region, the smell so undeniably Draco, a mixture of sweet musk and the soap he had been using.

Taking the erecting cock in his mouth, Harry let out a contented murmur that prompted Draco to thrust gently back and forward. With each motion the nerve endings in his throbbing cock seemed to ignite all at once.  
Harry had become skilled at the art of Draco milking. It was a rare occasion when he needed to use his hands to bring his lover to orgasm, but today there was a time limit on what they could do, and Harry wanted to taste every bit of his lover.

Pulling a towel off the stand next to the shower Harry let it flop on the floor, and moving away from Draco spread it out and lay down on it. He was now looking up at the beautiful site of Draco Malfoys arse. Draco had played this game before, Harry loved to ream Draco, and his favourite position was when they were both facing in the same direction, Harry lying down, Draco squatting over him.

Draco instinctively took up position, standing so his legs were either side of Harry's shoulders and allowed himself to be lowered toward Harry's lust driven tongue for a little less than an hour of deep sensual love making.

Back downstairs Vampy was making all sorts of fusses around Severus; he was starting to lose his patience and his temper with the day walker.

"Oh I think its lovely, just lovely dear; you will make a wonderful mother"

"I do not know what you are prattling on about, you stupid blood sucking harridan"  
Sev snapped. Vampy being by nature a vampire had a heightened sense of smell, and Severus seemed to have a smell that gave away a secret he wasn't even aware of. He was pregnant.  
Vampy could tell from the definite change in pheromones, she could smell a newly impregnated male a mile away. And Sev was ripe with the scent of procreation.

"Oh there you go again, trying to chat me up, you are a naughty boy aren't you?"  
Replied Vampy, she was possibly the hardest person in the wizarding world to upset. You had to listen to people, to get annoyed at what they were saying; Vampy wasn't exactly a listener lets just say.

"Leave the poor man alone you stupid old bitch" Severus and Vampy were stopped in their tracks by the arrival of the old crone from the night before.

"Oh god, as if it isn't bad enough having Elvira camp it up over me, I now get to converse with the crypt keeper. Merlin what did I do to deserve this?"

Moe ignored him and sat in a seat just opposite from his table.

"You have to expect a bit of old fashioned muldod when you get pregnant dearie, it's almost the law" Fussed Vampy. I couldn't smell you before because of the hormones of your two young companions, hell of a job keeping my hands to myself when they are around I tell you" Severus looked suitably grossed out at this, Vampy just continued chuckling and returned to her work.

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus could see that the old crone Moe, had not taken her eyes off him for a whole five minutes, she looked positively livid actually.

"What is your problem crone? You have been glaring at me for the last five minutes, I suggest you say what you want to say, or avert your gaze"

Moe cackled, a loud and piercing laugh that caught Vampy s attention, for more than one reason. You see, when a person, especially a wizard laughs, they give off a chemical, like there own individual marker. It just oozes out in laughter, probably why people can get an instant attraction to a person laughing.  
The reason Vampy noticed was that the smell coming off Moe wasn't hers. It was almost the identical smell coming off the newly impregnated Professor. The glare and the uncontrolled hiss in her direction, told Moe that Vampy was on to her. Severus blissfully unaware of this nasal identity tagging was happy when his two companions burst down the stairs ready to go.

"Hello young sirs" Called Moe, stopping her laughing as soon as she saw Harry and Draco appear. The three men were surprised when Vampy hastily moved in between them, again hissing at the crone, this time with fangs and furrowed brow showing.

"Don't you be talking to my Master Malfoy; he's a good boy he is" Not really knowing why she was silently ushering them out of the pub, but following Vampy' s eyes toward the door, the three men exited the Leaky Cauldron. Once outside Severus waited a few moments to see if the two boys had heard any of the day walkers' accusations. Realising that they hadn't, and not wanting to alert them of said accusations, Severus decided to keep quiet about them.

"What was with the Vamp?" Harry asked Severus, Draco's eyes training on the Potions Professor, also searching for the answer to that question. When Sev shrugged and said nothing they decided to leave it go, and headed for the tube station, and their destination, Hyde Park.

Once at the gates of Hyde Park, they looked at the map. It detailed the whole park and the different features it had for a visitor to enjoy.

There was a collective snort from the three, when they saw slap bang in the middle of the park a lake. Its name was 'the Serpentine'.

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. Reading the missive he came across the part that seemed to relate to this lake

Potter's name brings a shiver to his serpentine form. Draco tapped the corner of the map; in the bottom right corner was the cartographer that designed the map, a Mr J.P Harry. Looking at the shape of the lake all concluded that this was the place to start looking.

By the time they had got to the Serpentine Lake they were no wiser for clues than they were before.  
Draco sat on the grass looking dejected again. Harry tried to cheer him up; Severus couldn't stop wondering about Vamp's revelations, unknowingly cupping his stomach, pulling comfort from the act.

"Hey Dray, let's play I Spy?" Draco gave a slight smirk, he didn't really want to play, they had spent over two hours looking for the next clue, and nothing. He felt miserable and hungry.

"Oh come on, it'll cheer you up, promise." Draco nodded; he loved Harry even more at times like this. Harry always put Draco's feelings before his own, no matter what.

"Ok you go first Harry," Harry looked around and seeing a statue he liked and remembered from his childhood started the game off.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with P"

Draco stood up and threw all sorts of suggestions at Harry, from Park Keeper to Police man; this went on for about ten minutes of Harry saying Colder, or Hotter. To the point where Draco just got bored and gave up.

"Peter Pan, it was Peter Pan. The statue is over there" Harry pointed to the side of the lake where there was a statue of JM Barrie's famous boy who never grew up.

"Oh that, the ranting's of a squib mad man, had to be sectioned in a Muggle hospital in the end, kept preaching about seeing a boy who could fly with the fairies. Me and your father met him once, could wait to get away and run for cover, what a boring old twerp he was" Severus' s face took on a whole new shape as he observed two open mouthed young men looking at him, as if he had just revealed he was the new messiah.

Turning on their heels they sprinted down to the statue, with Severus in hot pursuit.

"You see Sev, it's the next clue" In between bouts of breathlessness Draco pointed at the key phrases, mad man, and run for cover. Both of which were in the letter. Looking at the statue Peter Pan was stood with his head held high. His right arm held out, pointing towards an island in the centre of the lake, some twenty meters away.

"Harry, can you conceal us?" Harry took out his wand; checking no-one was looking and swishing it back and forward caste an invisibility charm on them. Next Draco caste a 'Light as a feather' charm on the three of them and walked towards the side of the lake. Severus was not quite up to speed on this stage, and stopped Draco with a query.

"Mr. Malfoy, could you kindly tell me why you are going to walk on water? Have you developed a Jesus complex you'd like to share with me?" Harry snorted, but gathering himself back to the now, answering for his lover.

"Sev, its all in the letter 'Head held high' refers to the statue, 'I walk in the places where others fear to tread' refers to the water. And if you remember, Lucius says that he has made his bed, and must lie in it. Look over there, on that island. Flower beds. It's got to be the next clue"

Harry set off after Draco and saw the water being displaced slightly as they walked across the surface of the lake. Severus making a lot more noise as he ran the entire breadth, just incase he sank.

Once on the other side, Draco removed the Lightness charm, and made his way through a thick green hedge to a clearing, completely concealed from the outside world. There in the centre of this remarkably windy hollow stood a mausoleum.  
Severus and the boys walked all around the outside edge of the mausoleum, there seemed no entrance. There was no door or window, climbing a nearby tree Draco could not detect a skylight either.

Getting down, Draco walked over to where Severus had seemed routed to the spot. Harry came over to join them, not really quite sure what they were looking at, but agreeing that it did seem strange that a patch of fallen leaves lay undisturbed, when the rest of the ground around them was a swirl of autumnal chaos.

Kneeling down Severus put his hands into the leaves; they felt different, almost synthetic. Using his hands like spades, he threw the leaves sideways to reveal what may lie beneath. Very quickly he was rewarded with a black caste iron lock, carved on the lock was the same word that was engraved on the key in Harry's pocket. The word was _Nemo_. Taking the key from Harry and putting it in the lock, Severus turned the key and suddenly a stairway appeared in front of it, descending down twenty steps, at the bottom of the stairway was a doorway with a vault leading off it.

Harry took out his wand and descended the stairs first, wand held out, ready for any counter attack that was needed. Passing under a plaque above the door, Harry read the words 'Capitulus Arcanum Lacus', the same inscription that was on the key. Draco was hot on his heels as was an apprehensive Severus, who charmed the pebbles around to opening to alert of any visitors taking up the rear.

They gasped when the entered the vault, it was a lavishly decorated burial crypt, in the centre of the crypt stood an altar, adorned with purple velvet throws, on top of the throws, looking like she was in a deep sleep, lay Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy.

Back in the Leaky Cauldron Mistress Vamp was hissing like a demented cat at the advancing Moe. Just as Vampy launched at Moe, a wand appeared from under Moe's garments, stupefying her as she fell down behind the breakfast bar in the kitchen.  
Moe advanced on her, pointing a wand at her head, changing back into the form of Lucius Malfoy, just as he spoke the spell to rid the day walker of her memory.

"Obliviate"


	8. Chapter 8

"BEEP-BEEP-BEEP."

"It's the proximity alert that Severus put on the entrance to the crypt. Somebody must be approaching. We need to move your mother to safety. Quickly!"

The noise in the air was deafening, Severus had charmed the entrance to the crypt, as a safeguard, incase of attack from the same forces Voldemort was using to find Narcissa.

Draco approached the Dais that his mother was lying on. Reaching out he attempted to lift her slumbered form off it, but was thrown back against the wall, by a non-intrusive barrier, which must have been erected by Lucius to keep people away from his wife. Harry rushed over to check his lover as Severus stood guard at the bottom of the stairs.

"Draco, are you ok?" Harry asked as he held his lover in his arms.

"Sev, let's get the fuck out of here, Draco is hurt."

"Not without my mother Harry, I promised my father, I wouldn't let Voldemort get his hands on my mother."

Harry propped up Draco just behind the Dais and went over to the resting place himself. Using an ancient Celtic counter curse he had read in the book of Sbkar, Harry tapped into his inner magic core, reaching out his hands; he made contact with the barrier.

The energy was strong, and Harry thought strangely lacking in something. Sure the power was there, but there was no magical essence in play. This was just, raw magical power. When a wizard uses a barrier spell or curse, a certain amount of their own essence combines with the object they are protecting, giving the bond, a unique feel, or taste for want of a better description. It was as if this barrier was tasteless.

Harry pushed his hands further into the barrier just as Snape howled in the background.

"They are coming through our defences. Five no make that ten Death Eaters, what ever you are going to do, you need to be-"

Severus was cut off as a stupefying spell hit him square in the chest. Draco crawled around the side of the raised platform and fired stunning spell after stunning spell. Flashes of light were everywhere, as the assaulting Death Eaters fired curse after curse into the room, with so many surfaces in the room being gold, they were bouncing off them, running at random, and until powerless they ran out of energy.

"Just one more minute, I nearly have her, if I can just make-"

"HARRY…"

Draco screamed as a green light shot out of the wand of the lead attacker, his identity unknown, and the curse shot, unheard, over the loud alarm Severus had erected. The light hit Harry in the back, Harry slumped down on the floor. Draco's wand knocked out of his hand by a Death Eaters counter curse.

The lead hooded figure walked calmly to where Narcissa was, waving a hand over the barrier, and with that a brilliant flash of white light, the Death Eaters Disapparated out of the crypt, complete with Narcissa Malfoy.

Severus came around moments later, silencing the whaling of the proximity alert. Noticing Draco screaming on the floor, the apparent lifeless form of his lover in his arms, Severus rushed over to them both, prizing Harry out of Draco's grasp.

"He's dead, THEY FUCKING KILLED HIM!"

Severus could do nothing, he may be a first rate potions master, but he couldn't bring back the dead. Not even Dumbledore could do that. Kneeling into his godson and his godson's lover, Severus wrapped his arms around them both and joined Draco in his grief.

"Lucius, did you bring me your wife?"

Lucius Malfoy had just Apparated into the top secret head quarters of Voldemort' s forces in Brecon, Mid Wales, Voldemort had acquired a castle fortress and was sat impatiently aloft his throne, waiting for a progress report to arrive.  
Lucius, abiding by the normal elaborate etiquette of kissing the robes of his master, backed away, and with a single clap, watched as four burly Death Eaters carried in the body of his wife, Narcissa Malfoy.

"Observe sire, the Lady Narcissa Malfoy," Lucius made a sweeping arm gesture as he backed away from the body of his wife.

"What casualties did we incur this day Lucius?" Voldemort was finding it strange that only five of the ten Death Eaters could still be felt by him.

"Potter and his forces killed Milner, Menard, Quinn, Klank and Martin; we were lucky that we didn't meet the same fate. It seems that they were tipped off to the whereabouts of Narcissa."

Voldemort rose from his throne, and glissaded over the floor towards her. Running his hand over the body as if checking the condition of it, he gave out a maniacal cackle and swinging towards Lucius held his wand out at him.

"You have redeemed yourself today Lucius, now leave me, I wish to give delivery of this new prize to my ally."

Lucius knew better than to argue with his master. Taking what could possibly be the last look at his wife of nearly two decades. He backed out of throne room. Once out of the beady eyes of Voldemort's most trusted, Wormtail, Lucius downed the invisibility draught he had acquired for this role.

Sneaking back into the throne room, Lucius stood far enough away so that he would not be detected, but close enough to see what ever happened next.

Voldemort muttered an ancient spell that saw a vortex open in the middle of the room, through it spoke a dark figure.

"Have you what I seek?"

"I have the one you asked for, the purest blood female there is," Voldemort replied.

"Send her through; I need to extract her heart before night fall or my plans will be failed."

"She is unconscious, maybe if you could come to me, I can make a proper swap, you have your prize, and I can have mine."

Voldemort was obviously stalling, and Lucius knew it. It dawned on Lucius, that the normal wizarding etiquette of giving due respect to another's name hadn't been evident. His master being a creature of habit would always address someone he spoke to by name. Unless he didn't now the identity of that person. No names had been used in this conversation. Maybe Voldemort's ally was unknown to him? Maybe this could be a trap? But a trap could have been hatched at any time by an unknown ally. No, Lucius decided, this new ally was as much a mystery to his master, as he was to him.

"You will have the Elixir of Esrever once I have tested the purity of the Malfoy bitch. I need that heart to make my plans take shape. Prepare for my arrival. And be warned, if there is another in that room, it will be the last place that they witness."

The Elixir of Esrever, Lucius had heard his master refer to the life changing properties of this potion. It was made from the first tears of a unicorn calf, passing over the philosopher's stone. The only person to have made this was Nicholas Flamel, and he had died many years before. The remaining drops were all thought lost after the philosopher's stone was destroyed. Obviously, the secret ally had managed to acquire some. No wonder Voldemort was prepared to have the possibility of dissention in his ranks. The prize that he was garnering for was youth, and for Voldemort, with his power, youth would bring with it, ten times the strength Voldemort already had.  
He would be unstoppable.

There was nothing for it, Lucius had to go and tell Severus and the Potter boy, they could convince the side of light to attack Voldemort before he became too strong and unable to be defeated.  
He had until night-time before the exchange. Lucius was pretty certain that the ally wouldn't give up his advantage over Voldemort until what ever he wanted with Narcissa' s heart had been accomplished. He knew that if he acted quickly he could possibly save her as well; she was after all, his wife.  
As he shimmied out of the secret location he missed the figure creeping through the vortex, his wand out stretched. He missed the appearance of Voldemort's newest ally. He missed, the form of Albus Dumbledore, walk into the throne room.

Neither Severus, nor Draco saw Lucius Apparate into the crypt. They were both too busy consoling each other for their loss.  
Draco for the obvious loss of Harry, and Severus, because he knew it had to Lucius that led the attack. Any other Death Eater would have captured them both and delivered them and the Potter body to Voldemort. Severus knew that Draco would figure this out himself soon enough, and didn't want to be in Lucius's shoes when he did.

The sombre moan filled atmosphere was interrupted by a quiet almost whisper like voice.

"Severus, are you ok?" Sev looked up and around, he couldn't see anyone.

"Father, is that you?" Draco joined Severus in scanning the room. "They killed my Harry. THEY KILLED MY HARRY."

Severus returned to the comforting hold he had his godson in, and rocking him gently spoke with contempt at his lover.

"Come to finish the job off have you?"

"What, but my father-"

"He's not –"

"Show yourself coward, why hide in the shadows, have you not done enough –"

Severus was cut short as he just done to Lucius by Lucius repeating his previous statement.

"He's not dead. I hit him with the Comatosa spell…it is the only one that looks like the Avada Kedavra. With all the noise, the other Death Eaters couldn't hear my voice so had to rely on what I told them when we reappeared outside after the flash bomb went off."

"But why go to so much trouble to make it look like Harry was killed if you didn't want him dead?"

"Because my beautiful son, I need him. We all do."

Lucius rummaged in his pocket and downed an invisible potion antidote. Slowly he shifted into view. Draco and Severus looked on with tear filled eyes as the man who had lead them on a wild goose chase had finally shown his face.

"Nilus Comatosus Enivartus." Draco jumped as Harry gulped in as much air as his lungs would allow, his eyes shooting open to be met by two beaming white smiles.  
He switched his focus to Lucius and spoke to him.

"I heard the curse you put on me, remind me to return the favour one day."

"But how could you, I only saw a green light leaving a wand –"Harry interrupted Draco before he started to cry again. "I can hear the grass grow angel, remember?"

"Oh yer!" Draco giggled. Severus realising that this was obviously a private joke got up and walked over to Lucius.

"I am most displeased with you. But now is not the place. We need to get Draco's injuries treated."

"Son, can you stand?" Lucius moved closer to Draco who flinched instinctively.

""I am fine. I don't need your fucking help. You better have some fucking good answers? Because I have some questions."

Severus pulled on Lucius' elbow, gently motioning him to back off and let Draco come around.

"Harry, are you well enough to Apparate Draco to Snape Manor? Draco knows the way." Getting to his feet and pulling his lover up with him, Harry nodded that he was.

"Concentrate on where we need to go Draco, I'll do the rest."

"Ok, Harry."

"Before we go anywhere, I have one question to ask you Lucius.""

"Yes Potter, what is it?"

"Well, I know that you used a huge amount of magic to put that barrier up around the figure that looked like Narcissa –"

"What do you mean? Looked like my mother. I saw her with my own two eyes. It was her!"

"No it wasn't angel. I can almost taste a magical signature. Its part of the effects of being part super saviour I guess. I know exactly what your magic tastes like. I figure that as you are a product of a union between Lucius and Narcissa, their magical essence would taste vaguely similar to yours. I can't normally tell when there is such a difference, but today whoever the person in that barrier was. They were not magically connected to you – "

"That is preposterous, of course it was my wife –"Lucius was cut short by Severus.

""Mr. Potter, can you taste my magical essence?" Harry answer Severus' question.

"No, you have so many guards up, your magic seems to be held back, almost like Dumbledore and hate me for saying it Voldemort. I did vaguely taste your magic when we had that first Legilimens session, and at the time I thought you must have been hanging around Draco too much, as your magical signatures were quite alike."

"Interesting. Very interesting!"

"I can assure you Harry, Narcissa Malfoy was the person on that platform, and I had performed the same spell on her, as I had on you. Now if you are quite finished with the magical cookbook questions. We need to get out of here. There is much work to be done."

Severus nodded to Harry to signify that any further questions would have to wait. For now, the main priority was getting to Snape Manor and finding out, what saving Lucius would entail.

"I thought I'd lost you Harry." Looking into his lover's eyes, but somewhere totally different in his mind, Harry grabbed hold of Draco's hand. Knowing for sure, who ever that person was. She was not Draco's mother.

"I know angel. I know…" Harry clicked his fingers and Apparated the both to Severus' home, and the next stage in the puzzle.


End file.
